Studying law is one of the toughest decisions to make. However, a lot of opportunities are offered to anyone who decides to take this path to develop the necessary skills needed to excel in the field. You will be able to have an in-depth understanding of almost any area of interest. If you want to develop your creative thinking and problem-solving skills, then, studying law should be the best decision you can take.
With a law degree, you can be successful in any related field or profession like politics, management, journalism, international relations, police, and so on, as long as you can combine intellectual strength and a practical approach to every situation. For example, world leaders like Barrack Obama, Margaret Thatcher, Mahatma Gandhi, and others too numerous to mention, were able to scale through in life because they chose to study law, one of the oldest professions in life.
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Furthermore, most people study law because they see the law as a noble profession. However, it is not enough reason to study law because, from the look of things, most people with law degrees are performing excellently in other professions.
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Skills Needed for the Field
To study law, there are no specific qualifications that can prepare you ahead of the program. A-Level credits in subjects related to the law may be necessary, though not essential. This does not mean that you do not need some skills to scale through your studies. Such skills include:
Read: Top 5 Destinations For International Students To Study Law
1. Strong understanding and use of language
Whatever country you choose to practice, you must be able to understand and use the official language of such a country. This is because you would have a lot of interactions to make with your clients and colleagues and it requires language as the basic communication tool. As a law student, you would spend quality time studying materials. You must understand the material clearly and concisely to recollect it effectively. There are words with various meanings, you should be able to understand situations where misinterpretation or hidden meaning is possible.
2. Attention to detail
Your work as a lawyer needs to be accurate and devoid of errors, as you are likely to be faced with legal consequences if anything happens otherwise. Because the law is complex, if you fail to ensure accuracy, the outcome might have a different meaning. It is important to get the basic things right by paying attention to details.
3. Critical thinking and analysis
As a legal practitioner or student, you need to pay careful attention to every detail, while clearly and carefully analyzing every situation. Problem-solving skills must be brought into play as it will help you to critically analyze every situation and determine the best way to solve the issue without making a wrong judgment.
4. Preparation
One of the skills you must possess is the ability to be ready at all times. Your assignments are time-consuming and most likely to be submitted at a particular timeframe. If you decide to take care of it at the dying minute, you are likely to make mistakes which might lead to a decrease in grades. Ensure you allocate adequate time to every area of your study life and get prepared for every occurrence that could come up.
5. Research
Research skills are very fundamental to your success as a law student. Although a lot of reading is involved, research is also necessary as you would need to collect data from various sources to analyze and compare a particular scenario. You must intensively give in to studies and immerse yourself in different study materials to gain insights into every subject matter.
6. Dedication
You need to be dedicated to your work as legal jobs are competitive. Failure to get committed to your work might reflect through a negative result. You must put your best in everything by making the necessary sacrifice. If you are willing to stretch your tentacles, you are the most likely to embrace success in all your endeavors.
Available Career Options for a Law Graduate
The job of a law graduate varies because there is no specific occupation designated to the title. There are tremendous options available to legal professionals. They could pursue career opportunities in government, corporate, private, and international organizations. However, law professionals are trained to provide professional advice to their clients and also to provide support in different legal matters, whether civil or criminal.
Read: Here Are 10 Businesses You Can Start With A Law Degree?
How Much Can I Earn as a Lawyer?
In 2014, the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) stated that the average salary of a lawyer annually was about $115,000, with top earners taking home about $180,000. You should also understand that salaries differ based on the state you practice in. It might be higher or lesser, based on your state.
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How do I Become a Lawyer?
There are a series of steps awaiting every prospective lawyer. But first of all, you should be sure you want to study law by identifying your reasons to do so and also be ready to commit your time and efforts to the career. If you are keen on becoming a lawyer, the following steps are required for you to begin your career.
1. Complete a bachelor’s degree program
The minimum educational requirement for admission to law school is a bachelor’s degree, which takes 4 years. You could also major in related fields like English, Economics, Business, Political Science, Philosophy, Journalism, and so on.
2. Pass the law school admission test
The law school admission test is the major criterion for gaining admission into law school. The test is the basic measurement of your skills in important areas of future work.
3. Identify an accredited law school and complete your application
Some students, after undergraduate programs, choose to further their education, while some choose to gain some professional skills in other fields before enrolling in law school. Whatever the case, ensure that the law school you are applying to is accredited. Also, find out the requirements of the school and check if you met up so as not to waste your money, time, and effort.
4. Select a program that offers your area of interest
There are varieties of specialties like real estate, criminal, property, environmental, family, or other law specialties within the legal field. You are advised to go for only the program that offers a focused curriculum in that field.
5. Pass the bar examination
For you to qualify as a practicing lawyer, you must pass your bar examination. The bar examination is usually a two-day process and the examination covers various legal matters. To offer a full legal license, your educational background, competence, character, and ability to represent others are put into consideration.
6. Advance your career
As a fresher, you can start as an associate lawyer and work closely with experienced lawyers to hone your skills. After some years of successful practice, you can become a partner in a firm or you can choose to open your law firm. You can advance by becoming a judge or assuming some public positions. You can also advance your educational qualifications by obtaining master’s (LLM) and doctoral (PhD) degrees. Both involve intense research and academic commitment. Take advantage of a law scholarship if you have a dream of going further in your career.
Why Do People Study Law?
If you discover that you always fight for something right, it’s time to put your talent to work. A quick look at the reasons why people study law confirms the claims as to why law remains one of the most sought-after degrees all over the world.
1. Law is a strong foundation for further academic pursuit
Law is one of the courses that can be combined with business, accounting, and a range of other non-law degrees. Also, with a law degree, you can take up further studies in other professions. Studying law helps you to have multiple career options. As a law graduate, you can choose any field like media, business, commerce and industry, academia, and so on to build a budding career. This means that studying law can give you any career you want.
Read: Top 10 Universities In Canada To Study Law
2. Financial Success
With just a law degree, you may not have immediate financial freedom. But as you progress, you will be faced with more job options which bring about financial stability. Your salary increases with more experience in the field and when taking an inventory of your career life, you will discover how much you have grown financially, just by being a lawyer.
3. Multiple skills
You will gain multiple knowledge and skills from studying law. This will help you to critically analyze different complex situations and devise the best possible means to tackle each problem. You will be intellectually challenged and as a result, seeking ways to get better at what you do is inevitable. Your experience will always come in handy whenever a tough and related situation stares hard at you.
4. Law graduates are recognized by employers everywhere
With the different skills you develop, you will always rank first in your employer’s mind. As long as the law is graded as one of the most specialized professions, law graduates will always be considered deserving candidates and thus build great career prospects.
.5. Law gives respect and prestige
Law entails upholding justice. When you heed this noble call to uphold justice, you will discover how much respect you can earn from people around you. Furthermore, law graduates are usually successful in their careers. With success, comes respect and prestige.
6. Awareness of rights and responsibilities
With the knowledge of your rights and responsibilities as a citizen, you will act in the most reasonable way you can. In addition, you will be able to question certain laws that are obnoxious and encourage others to fight for their rights and carry out their responsibilities, irrespective of the situation at hand.
7. Develop self-confidence
Law students actively engage in debates and discussions. This helps one to build certain skills like self-confidence and healthy self-esteem. With these skills, you will be able to handle public speaking, nurture interpersonal relationships as well as take up leadership roles.
8. Good communication skills
Arguing from a standpoint of evidence is one thing every lawyer is skilled at. This inculcates good communication skills in one. Other skills you could develop in this regard include problem-solving, independence, adaptation, and the rest. You can also transition into other fields if you wish.
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9. You can implement law theories in real-life case
Law schools, in general, give real-life instances and their applications. This will help you in establishing ideas and understanding the right areas to apply them when faced with related challenges.
10. You will help make the world a better place
Many people study law because they want the chance to positively affect their world. As a law graduate, you will have the chance to further the public good and affect how the world is run.
What else do you need to be convinced that the law is the best for you? Taking up law as your major should be one of the best decisions to make. One thing is certain for you, you will not be found in every employer’s office submitting CVs. With your skills, getting a job will not be difficult. You could even be offered a good one during your campus placement and there are also scholarship programs if you are interested. So, it’s time to go for the best.
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